Opening up science: How the library will become a hub for open innovation and science | ZBW MediaTalk

"Merging open science and open innovation more closely and providing fresh momentum will be the focus of a new initiative from the Stifterverband (Donors Association for Open Science and Innovation). A recently published discussion paper contains the initial recommendations for action. It considers the establishment of open innovation hubs and the role of libraries.

Openness in science and innovation can be looked at in two dimensions: On the one hand, the integration of a wide range of knowledge providers into the different phases of the science/implementation process. On the other, the creation of transparency and free access to the results of scientific study.

A new initiative from the Stifterverband (Donors Association for Open Science and Innovation) has set itself the goal of no longer seeing open innovation and open science as separated according to economics and science. Instead, it is hoped that the joint debate and the creation of interfaces will make it easier to unlock their innovation potential and thus create impulses for the German science and innovation facility.

As a first step, a discussion paper entitled „Was bringt die Öffnung von Wissenschaft und Innovation?“ (PDF in German) has been published regarding the state and value of open science and innovation. Over 50 experts from the fields of science, finance, civil society and politics were involved in writing the paper. The recommendations for action featured in the paper include:

• Tapping into potential in finance, science and society, in order to take better advantage of the interdependencies between open innovation and open science
• Developing new locations for system solutions and hereby giving selected universities the role of ‘Open Innovation Hub’
• Creating incentives and structures in science in order to improve the collaborative production of knowledge
• Developing an explicit political strategy in order to provide actors with support in their efforts to create openness in science and innovation..."